Bicycles have evolved and today we have fast and lightweight bicycles with tear drop shaped seats upon which riders can efficiently transfer energy from their legs to the wheels of the bicycle. However, there is also a class of bicycles called cruiser bicycles where comfort is paramount and efficient energy transfer is secondary. On cruiser bicycles, the center of the pedal crank is typically more forward of the seat than the pedal crank on a racing bike, street bike, mountain bike, or cross bike. Riders of cruiser bicycles tend to sit more upright than riders of other types of bicycles.
Bicycle seats come in many shapes and forms. A typical bicycle seat is shaped like a tear drop or a pear, with a wider portion of the seat that supports the buttocks and a narrower or pointed portion that fits between a rider's legs called the nose or the horn. A problem with typical bicycle seats is that they tend not to provide support to riders where it is needed and extended riding on a seat with a nose or horn can put undue pressure on the rider's anatomy where the nose or horn of the of the seat meets the rider's body.
The nose of a typical bicycle seat meets the rider's anatomy in the area of the genitals and the perineum. It has been advanced that the weight of a rider on a typical bicycle seat can force the hip bones apart and put undue pressure on the nerves and blood vessels passing through the pudendal canal and in the case of a male rider, compress the penile artery. Prolonged riding on a typical bicycle seat is not only uncomfortable, it is believed that prolonged riding on this type of seat may cause permanent damage to the rider's anatomy and may even cause sexual dysfunction in some male riders.
It is desirable on cruiser bicycles and can be desirable on other types of bicycles to have a seat that alleviates pressure points on a rider's anatomy, distributes the rider's weight, reduces risk of chafing, and is easy for the rider to use. Such a seat is also desirable for use by older, less healthy, or overweight individuals that often use three wheeled bicycles, and such a seat can also be used by such individuals to comfortably exercise on stationary exercise bicycles.
The need for a comfortable seat that minimizes pressure points and maximizes comfort has been recognized in the past and there have been a number of attempts to design a bicycle seat with support where it is needed most. One approach has been to provide a seat without a nose that has two support portions or cushions. However, that type of seat does not provide any support for the genital and perineal areas of the human anatomy and is not well suited to accommodate the anatomies of riders of varying widths, particularly those who are very large or overweight.
An object of the invention is to provide comfortable seating while bicycling. Another object of the invention is to provide a seat that supports the rider's anatomy without undue pressure on the genital and perineal areas. A further object of the invention is to provide a bicycle seat that is comfortable and easy to use that does not require manual or other adjustment means and mechanisms to accommodate individuals of varying widths.